Provides in-State tuition status to certain veterans and family members who attend public institutions of higher education during period of mandatory remote instruction due to public health emergencies.

A1431

ASSEMBLY, No. 1431

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides in-State tuition status to certain veterans
and family members who attend public institutions of higher education during
period of mandatory remote instruction due to public health emergencies.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning the residency status of veterans attending
public institutions of higher education and amending P.L.2015, c.32.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Section 2 of P.L.2015,
c.32 (C.18A:62-4.1b) is amended to read as follows:

���� 2.��� a.�
(1)
� A
veteran or covered individual who is living in New Jersey and is attending a
public institution of higher education in New Jersey shall be regarded as a
resident of the State for the purpose of determining tuition, regardless of the
veteran or covered individual's state of residence.

����
(2)�� During any period in
which a public institution of higher education requires students to complete
coursework through remote instruction due to a public health emergency, a
veteran or covered individual who attends the public institution of higher
education, but is living outside of New Jersey during the period of remote
instruction, shall be regarded as a resident of the State for the purpose of
determining tuition, regardless of the veteran or covered individual�s state of
residence.

���� b.��� As used in this section:

���� "Covered individual"
means:

���� (1)�� an individual who is
entitled to educational assistance under provisions of the federal
"Post-9/11 Educational Assistance" program (38 U.S.C. s.3311(b)(9) or
3319) by virtue of such individual's relationship to a veteran ; and

���� (2)�� an individual who is
entitled to educational assistance under provisions of the United States
Department of Veterans Affairs' "Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
Program" (38 U.S.C. s.3100 et seq.) effective for courses, semesters, or
terms that begin after March 1, 2019.

���� "Veteran" means a
person who has served on active duty in the Uniformed Services of the United
States and who was discharged or released and who qualifies for educational
assistance under the federal "All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance
Program" (38 U.S.C. s.3001 et seq.) or "Post-9/11 Educational
Assistance" program (38 U.S.C. s.3301 et seq.).

(cf: P.L.2019, c.264, s.1)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� Under the �New Jersey Tuition
Equality for America�s Military

(NJTEAM) Act,� P.L.2015, c. 32
(C.18A:62-4.1a et seq.), a veteran or other �covered individual,� such as a
veteran�s spouse or child,� who qualifies for certain federal educational
assistance, resides in New Jersey, and attends a public institution of higher
education, is considered to be a State resident for tuition purposes and
thereby eligible to pay an in-State tuition rate regardless of the individual�s
state of residence.

���� Due to the outbreak of
COVID-19, public institutions of higher education have required students to
complete coursework through remote instruction.� This bill amends the NJTEAM
Act to allow veterans and covered individuals to continue to pay in-State tuition
during any period of mandatory remote instruction due to a public health
emergency, even if they are living outside of the State during the period of
remote instruction.� This will allow those who benefit from the provisions of
the NJTEAM Act to continue to receive in-State tuition while they are
temporarily out-of-state due to the public health emergency.